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DOC Clubs

Due to its size and history, the Dartmouth Outing Club acts as an umbrella organization for a number of clubs which each specialize in some types of outdoor activities.

Bait and Bullet

The Connecticut River valley is the product of a variety of geologic and glacial erosion features and is riddled with water bodies of all sorts — the combination of both indigenous and introduced species is responsible for a great diversity of fish available to the angler.

Bait and Bullet was founded in 1921 by J.R. Titcomb ’23 “for the purpose of stimulating hunting and fishing about Hanover”. Bait and Bullet organizes hunting and fishing trips throughout the greater Dartmouth region. They also exercise their skills closer to home with practices and workshops. Each fall they run a hunter safety course. Blitz Bait and Bullet for more info. The club also has a home for both small arms marksmanship shooters and competitive Skeet and Trap shooters. Contact the club to get involved.

Bait and Bullet is also home to the Archery Team, practicing and competing in competitive target shooting. Blitz Archery Team for more info.

Big Green Bus

The Big Green Bus was formed in 2005 as a means to promote alternative energy and conservation practices through advocacy and grassroots methods. Through education and example, they seek to inspire Americans to reconsider their relationship to the planet and with each other to become more environmentally responsible citizens at home, at work, and in the voting booth. Learn More about the Big Green Bus at their website or Blitz The Bus for more info. The Big Green Bus will not tour the US in 2014; the program is in hiatus indefinitely. Students interested in resuming activity should contact the program advisor, Rory Gawler in Outdoor Programs.

Cabin and Trail

Dartmouth College is located within an hour’s drive of both the White Mountains of New Hampshire and the Green Mountains of Vermont. The 2,100 mile Appalachian National Scenic Trail runs straight though Hanover. Also in Hanover are a number of natural areas, such as Velvet Rocks, Balch Hill, Pine Park, and the Mink Brook Natural Area, which provide beautiful settings for walking, running, and exploring.

In 1910 the DOC began to build a chain of cabins extending from Hanover to Mount Moosilauke for backcountry ski touring. By 1920 membership in the DOC had increased to the point that it was necessary to create a special division, Cabin and Trail, to concentrate on cabins and trails and to recognize the efforts of those who had worked hard on their behalf.

Cabin and Trail (C&T) runs weekend hiking trips to the White Mountains, Green Mountains, the Second College Grant, and to some of the smaller mountains on Dartmouth’s trails, as well as a Spring Break trip. Although C&T is the college’s de facto hiking club, its main emphasis is on wilderness and skills education through weekly “heeler” instruction seminars (a traditional C&T name for those learning from the more experienced students — literally, those following on the heels of those before). C&T members learn the skills necessary to lead trips and to maintain trails, shelters, and cabins, so that they can give back to the wilderness and help ensure that it remains a treasure for generations to come. The club also has a long-ingrained less-serious side that sponsors weekly explorations into the culture of the Upper Valley through its breakfast club, DinerToure. Informal feeds and other spontaneous events round out its schedule.

Cabin and Trail is responsible for maintaining over seventy miles of the Appalachian Trail, and the shelters it has constructed on its section. Students build and maintain trails and shelters throughout the year and each year a special crew devotes an entire summer to working on the trails and the club’s cabins.

In addition to its Appalachian Trail responsibilities, Cabin and Trail also maintains about a dozen cabins throughout northern New Hampshire. Some of these cabins may be rented by the community (see the section on cabins below).

Learn more about Cabin and Trail at their own website or Blitz CnT for more info.

In the 1960s a new awareness was born in the DOC, that involvement and love of the out-of-doors could include more than recreational pursuits. In 1969 the DOC formed its Environmental Studies Division to promote environmental education and activism. ESD continues to influence the College’s policies and management. The club’s energy use and recycling programs have driven the College’s environmental awareness and improved practices on campus over the past three decades, and recently members of ESD were influential in implementing a 1991 Environmental Studies 50 recommendation for the creation of the Dartmouth Organic Farm. The club also hosts speakers and conferences throughout the year to educate its members and the Dartmouth community.

Learn more about ESD at their own website, or blitz Blitz ESD for more info. For a nostalgic trip into what websites used to look like, check out ESD's OLD website.

Ledyard Canoe Club

John Ledyard, class of 1776, was one of the first students to attend Dartmouth, but his longing to explore would soon take him from the college’s classrooms. He spent his first summer at Dartmouth living among the Iroquois. Then, during his second year at the college, he hewed a wooden canoe and set out down the Connecticut River, beginning a life’s journey which would take him around the globe. John Ledyard’s life was the inspiration in 1920 for the forming of the Ledyard Canoe Club.

The Ledyard Canoe Club runs paddling trips to many rivers, lakes, and coastal waters throughout New England, and their expeditions have navigated waters all over the world. They rent canoes and kayaks to students and the community from their clubhouse on the Connecticut River, and offer lessons in paddling skills. Club members have won an unrivaled twenty national titles since 1967 and many of its members have been on World Championship or Olympic paddling teams.

Learn more about the Ledyard Canoe Club at their own website or Blitz Ledyard for more info.

Dartmouth Mountaineering Club

The Dartmouth Mountaineering Club was founded in 1936 by Jack Durrance ’36. The DMC has an outstanding record of climbs all over the world including in the Tetons, the Andes, in Alaska, and in other regions. DMC members participated in the first American ascent of Everest. Recently, DMC members have made expeditions to Nepal and northern Canada as well.

The DMC runs regular weekend climbing trips to locations in New Hampshire such as Rumney, Cannon Cliff, Cathedral, and Whitehorse, as well as to the Shawanagunks and the Adirondacks in New York. DMC members are also responsible for day-to-day operation of the Daniels Climbing Gym, located in Maxwell Dorm, providing safety monitoring, route setting, and climbing instruction.

Climbing Team

The Dartmouth Climbing Team is a sub-group of the Dartmouth Mountaineering Club. It is a brand new group formed in 2016. The team practices weekly at the Daniels Climbing Gym in Maxwell dorm, where they train, have fun, and prepare for competitions in the USA Climbing: Collegiate Climbing Series. There are local, regional, and national competitions. The Dartmouth team joins college students from around the country to compete against one another in different climbing disciplines. If you enjoy climbing, beating other schools at sports, or having fun with a group of awesome people, this club is for you. For more info, contact The Dartmouth Climbing Team.

Mountain Biking Club

The Mountain Biking Club serves to introduce students to mountain biking and the local trails. Trips are run on weekends to some of the fantastic riding locations in New England, for instance, Kingdom Trails and Millstone Quarry. The club is also the place to find help with bike maintenance. Blitz Mountain Biking Club for more info.

Organic Farm

The Organic Farm club represents the student farmers who lead and work on the Dartmouth Organic Farm. This club is a place to meet fellow student farmers and learn how to become involved in both the farm work and the social and educational activities of the farm.

Regular work session are held at the farm, during the growing season, including soil preparation, seeding and transplanting and harvesting. Out-of-season activities include land-based workshops and festivals and an annual visit to the Winter NOFA conference in Vermont.

Learn more about the Organic Farm Club at their own website or Blitz The Farm for more info.

POCO

The People of Color Outdoors Club seeks to provide opportunities for underrepresented groups to find their space in the outdoor world. By organizing trips primarily with leaders of color, the club creates an environment with fewer barriers to entry for those members who want to try out the DOC or outdoor adventure in a more comfortable crowd. For more information, blitz POCO.

Dartmouth Ski Patrol

The Dartmouth Ski Patrol evolved out of the DOC’s Winter Sports Division. The club provides patrol and rescue services on the Dartmouth Skiway and medical safety support to the activities of the other DOC clubs throughout the year. All patrollers are members of the National Ski Patrol, are certified as Outdoor Emergency Care Technicians, and are well versed in various special rescue techniques, including toboggan handling, chairlift evacuation, and technical rope rescues.

Learn more about the Dartmouth Ski Patrol at their own website or Blitz DSP for more info.

The Ski Racing Club exists to provide an outlet for alpine skiers who wish to pursue competitive racing but not at the Varsity level. For more information, check out their Facebook Page, or blitz The Ski Racing Club!.

Club Snowboarding Team

The Club Snowboarding Team aims to support a community of students with varying levels of skill in snowboarding and foster the growth and prosperity of snowboarding at Dartmouth at a competitive level, at both racing and freestyle competitions.

Surfing Club

The DOC Surfing Club takes regular trips to the NH seacoast to enjoy some of the best waves that the Atlantic has to offer. Blitz Surfing for more info.

Winter Sports Club

The Winter Sports Division was founded to organize and run competitive, intra and intercollegiate activities and was the governing body of Ski Racing in the northeast until the NCAA took over in the late 60s. The club now dedicates itself to furthering the burgeoning interest in backcountry ski touring. Blitz the club for more info.

Women in the Wilderness

Women in the Wilderness was created in 1992 to provide a supportive environment for the development of outdoor skills, confidence, and leadership. The club organizes introductory trips and seminars to provide women with the chance to explore all the varied outdoor possibilities open to them. Blitz Women in the Wilderness for more info.

Woodsmen's Team

The Woodsmen's team, part of the Cabin and Trail division, is an intercollegiate sports team competing in lumberjack sports regionally. The team practices daily at Oak Hill, near campus. Students learn a variety of old-time logging skills and hone their techniques to mastery. Razor sharp axes and 7-foot long crosscut saws are just some of the interesting and exciting tools used to reduce perfectly good logs into woodchips. Blitz The Woodsmen's Team for more info.